Assess your workload for tasks, duties or areas of responsibility that are suitable to delegate
- Break your overall workload or project work into manageable tasks or chunks of effort.
- Determine what work you must do versus someone else.
- Identify what tasks/duties others can do as effectively as you.
- Identify the tasks/duties that would provide an opportunity for on-the-job development.
- Determine what tasks/duties someone else should handle.
Clarify your own expectations for the tasks, duties and areas of responsibility you want to delegate
- Determine what results you or others expect (e.g., quality, accuracy, timeliness), and clearly communicate this to others.
- Decide how much control or involvement you want to have if you delegate this work, and clearly communicate this to others.
- Consider whether is there only one way to complete the work or whether there are a variety of approaches.
- Decide if you are willing to allow someone else to figure out how best to perform the work.
Determine which employee might be well-suited for a delegated task, duty or responsibility
- Determine which employee has the time, interest or desire to do the work or would benefit from the experience.
- Decide which employee can take on delegated work without it violating union and/or contractual requirements (if applicable).
Meet with the employee to discuss the work being delegated
- If delegating as a developmental experience, explain why you are delegating the work to this employee and ways s/he can benefit from the assignment.
- Describe the nature of the work and the results required or expected.
- Discuss ways the work can be planned, conducted and completed.
- Describe ways you will provide time, tools, support and feedback while the work is being completed.
- Specify the method by which and frequency with which you want to be updated as work progresses.
- Ask what questions the employee may have (e.g., about the goal of the work, how best to proceed, support provided, when to check in, how results will be evaluated).
Assess progress as delegated work is being carried out, and provide feedback to the employee
- Ask if the frequency and focus of your check-ins helpful for the employee.
- Get involved more often if requested by the employee or to help address issues with partners.
- Discuss any changes needed to ensure the employee successfully completes the work (if applicable).
- Give the employee periodic feedback about what’s going well, what has been learned, how to build on successes.
- Express your appreciation for the employee’s time, effort, and contributions.
